Man arrested for alleged indecent exposure at Carlsbad dog park

Police say a Carlsbad man exposed himself to a 15-year-old Saturday at the dog park near Tansill Dam.

Ricardo Leyva, 41, was arrested Saturday after he allegedly exposed himself to the boy, police said.

The victim was reportedly driving in the lower Tansill area near the Carlsbad dog park, where he allegedly saw Leyva sitting on a bench with his pants lowered and masturbating in plain sight. The victim told police that when Leyva saw his car, he stood up, pulled his pants all the way down and simultaneously waved and mouthed to him to "come over."

He said he drove his car to the other side of the inlet to call police dispatch. The teenager said he felt "threatened" and said he saw a bulge in the front pocket of the hoodie Leyva was wearing and was afraid it may have been a gun. According to the police report, the victim also said he feared Leyva would try to rape him.

By the time police officers Matthew Langlitz, Sam Dorado and John Sneathen arrived on the scene, Leyva had reportedly disappeared. The officers later found him driving south on Main Street in a 1993 Chevrolet Caprice and stopped him based on the victim's description - a Hispanic male wearing a dark, flat-billed ball cap with sunglasses perched on top and a gray hoodie and sweatpants. Leyva also reportedly had an identifying mark of a Jesus tattoo on his neck. Langlitz reportedly stopped Leyva's vehicle at around 7:40 p.m. and conducted a preliminary interview.

Langlitz detained Leyva in handcuffs and took him to the police station, where both Leyva and the victim were interviewed.

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According to the police report, Leyva kept changing his story, but ultimately denied the charges and said he was only in the lower Tansill area to pick up his nephews who had been there fishing.

Carlsbad Police Captain Jarod Florez said Leyva was later arrested and taken to the Eddy County Detention Center based on the evidence and an arrest warrant issued by Judge Henry Castaneda.

Leyva was not under the influence of alcohol and did not have any previous relationship with the victim, Florez said.